Aboriginal guest writer Tyson Yunkaporta has some hints for western travellers whose children come into contact with Indigenous youngsters for the first time.
Western Families traveling to "exotic" locations in places like Asia, Australia, Africa and South America may find that their children have their first contact with Indigenous children. They may find playtime a little different in these contexts. Although all Indigenous cultures are unique, here's a few of the things you might expect to encounter.
Independant Orientation
Many Indigenous children are expected to be self-managed from a very young age - to dress, feed and entertain themselves with a minimum of adult supervision.
No Age Groups
Generally speaking, our kids are not divided into age groups, so play could involve members aged 3 to 12 or older. Age groups are only relevant at initiation.
No Helmets Or Pool Fences
You may be horrified at the lack of what you might call "Safety Measures." But often our view is that adult-imposed safety is dangerous in the long-term. How can a child learn to avoid danger in a risk-free environment? As a result, our kids tend to have less accidents in play than sheltered westerners.
Rough And Tumble
Our kids aren't "genetically superior" at sports, as many people think. It's just that in many of our cultures there is a strong orientation towards intensively physical play from a young age that westerners might consider dangerous. There might be leaping from great heights, climbing, duelling with sharp objects, catching snakes, etc. Your children will almost certainly get knocked about with the others. But this is good for them.
Swearing
This is a hard one. We didn't make these words up - they were given to us by the west, and many of us aren't as offended by them when our traditional cultures don't contain the equivalent. This is not to say we have no verbal limits - for example, I know a lot of Indigenous communities where it is absolutely forbidden to refer to buttocks in front of children. However, MF is okay! Some children in some places might use such terms quite a bit, and your kiddies might need a bit of a debrief.
I must stress again that you cannot generalise about all Indigenous people. These are just some examples of the sort of things you might come across. Remember there are no fixed rules - it's different from region to region, and even from family to family. The best tip is to remain open, flexible, non-judgemental and observant.
If you model this attitude for your kids, they will follow, and learn things on their overseas holiday that will equip them to be the tolerant, cross-cultural citizens that this world needs if it is to have any kind of sustainable future.
To learn more about the international Indigenous experience, visit Tyson's Aboriginal Rights site at Suite 101.
The copyright of the article Meeting Native Children in Family Adventures is owned by Kelby Carr. Permission to republish Meeting Native Children in print or online must be granted by the author in writing.
Comments
Jun 5, 2006 6:22 PM
Kelby Carr
:
This is a wonderful guest article from Suite101.com's Aborginal Rights writer. Have you traveled with your children and encountered native children? There are so many benefits to exposing children to other cultures and customs. What are your thoughts on children being exposed to aboriginal cultures?
Jun 5, 2006 7:09 PM
Jennifer W. Miner
:
While I haven't traveled to anywhere more exotic than all-incuded resorts with my kids, I certainly appreciate the insights and great times that can be gained if I'd only branch out a little! This was a great article. I shall return to it again and again -- and when my kids are older, I'll make that leap out of luxury resorts! :) Jen Miner http://luxuryresorttravel.suite101.com
Jun 6, 2006 12:11 AM
Tyson Yunkaporta
:
something not mentioned in the article are the judgements and generalisations that can occur across indigneous and non-indigenous families mixing socially for the first time. these misunderstandings are based on mismatched cultural values around such things as property ownership, manners and language.
many indigenous children might not realise that your well manicured garden is off limits, or that your car is something you like to keep undented. your childrens toys may be disassembled to create new and interesting objects, or missiles to hurl at small animals.
this killing may also disturb and shock, if the aboriginal children in question have been desensitised to animal suffering by generations of colonialism. such departures from the "noble savage" image may also give you a bit of disenchantment. try not to get cynical. it bothers most indigenous people when this happens as well.
remember, your worldview is also valid. boundaries can be negotiated. expensive toys can be put away. many indigenous playgroups do not operate within sedentary lifestyle boundaries - so allow the playtime area to extend away from your accommodation.
you can do this without judgements. instead of saying "that's just common sense" or "good manners" about your expectations, say, "this is how we do it in my way. when i come to your place, i'll do it your way."
most kids understand different cultural protocols very well, and this is how you must present your values - not as some objective and god-given truth.
Jun 6, 2006 10:05 AM
Jill Florio
:
This is very important information and I really hope to see this discussion continue. Think of all the world's big and little issues that would be resolved if people really learned proper tolerance! :)
Jun 8, 2006 2:03 PM
Dan Florio
:
I agree this is an excellent piece. Good on ya. Dan
